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Declaration of Independence adopted (July 4, 1776)

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Declaration of Independence adopted (July 4, 1776)

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Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and two others had the task of drafting a formal statement of the colonies’ intentions. It said things like the colonies had been nicely asking for Independence but Britain did not give it. The Declaration of Independence was written mostly by Jefferson. It was officially signed at Philadelphia on July 4

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Common sense convinced colonists that it was time for a rebellion and independence. Common sense said that the colonists should rule themselves. It said that it was an obvious matter that the colonies should rule themselves.

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The Second Continental Congress (May 10, 1775)

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The Second Continental Congress (May 10, 1775)

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The Second Continental Congress came together after the American Revolutionary War had already started. They took the step of declaring America’s independence from Britain. Five years later, the Congress ratified the first national constitution called the Articles of Confederation. But it was soon after replaced the current United States Constitution.

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The Battles of Lexington and Concord are the ones that kicked off the American Revolutionary War. Paul Revere was one of the men who sounded the alarm for troops to start attacking the red coats. A confrontation at Lexington started the fight. The red coats ended up retreating in the battle.

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Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death” speech (March 23, 1775)

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Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death” speech (March 23, 1775)

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After Patrick Henry said "Give me liberty or give me death," it became a cry during the march to war that was going to start. Henry talks about how British soldiers aren't in the colonies for protection. Instead they're there to enforce the laws. He says that the only way to be free is revolution because protests aren't working.

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First Continental Congress (Sept. 5 –Oct. 26, 1774)

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First Continental Congress (Sept. 5 –Oct. 26, 1774)

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After the Coercive Acts was in action, the First Continental Congress formed. 55 delegates from the colonies, except Georgia, came together and wanted to take action on in resistance to these . Half of them wanted to work things out and the other half wanted to rebel. This created the two sides, patriots and loyalists. This slowly built up the revolution.

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Made up of four acts. One of them was the Boston Port Bill, which closed the Boston Harbor until restitution was made for the dumped tea. The next act, Massachusetts Government Act, reduced Boston to the level of a crown colony. The Administration of Justice Act, was to protect British officials charged with capital offences during law enforcement, which let them go to England or another colony for trial. The Coercive Act (the new Quartering act) had new arrangements for housing the British troops in colonial homes.

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Bostonians were tired of the tax's on tea, and they wanted to do something about it. In the Boston Harbor, colonists dressed as Mohawk Indians board 3 ships and dump 90,000 pounds (45 tons) of tea into the Boston Harbor. This much amount of tea costs about $1,000,000 USD today. Parliament was very unhappy with this and responded with new acts such as the Intolerable acts.

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The Tea Act was one of the things the British passed to help get Britain out of debt after the war. But the main reason wasn't to raise revenue from the colonies but to bail out the floundering East India Company, a key actor in the British economy. They granted monopoly on importation and sales of tea. Colonists were unhappy with the tax so they took action with the Boston Tea Party.

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A crowd of about 60 taunt red coats by throwing snow because they were angry that an 11 y/o was shot 10 days earlier during a protest. Troops open fire and kill/wound 11. One of first to die was an African American. He was used to show that black people are same as any other person. Only 2 red coats were found guilty for man slaughter and the rest released after being branded.

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The Stamp Act Congress (Oct. 7-25, 1765)

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The Stamp Act Congress (Oct. 7-25, 1765)

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The Stamp Act congress was a meeting of representatives from 9  of the British colonies. Georgia, North Carolina, New Hampshire, and Virginia were not present.The reason they came together was to make plans to protest against Britain. During this the colonists realized the power they have to change laws and protest on what they don't like.

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This Quartering Act said that Great Britain would provide its soldiers housing in American barracks and public houses. But if there was too many soldiers for the amount of housing space available, they could go sleep in inns, livery stables, ale houses, victualing houses, wine stores, and rum stores. Not only that, they had the costs of the troops’ food.

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This act was passed to raise money. The tax for the British was much cheaper than than what the colonists had to pay. The acts required printed materials in the colonies to be on stamped paper produced in London, carrying an embossed revenue stamp.These acts also kept making colonists angry, getting them closer to revolution. Colonists boycotted it and it was repealed.

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The colonists had very little money to trade, and the only way to get money was through trade. But there was no regulation on printing money, so there was a lot of confusion with the currency. And the notes given by the land bank were based on the value of mortgaged land. When the Currency Act happened, it took control of all of the colonial currency system.

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The Sugar Act was a act to raise money for the debt of the 7 years war. They reduced the Molasses Tax’s rate and expanding enforcement, the hoping that the colonists would not get angry and so that the tax could be collected effectively. This Act increased the concerns of the colonists about their rights as British citizens. Their anger fed into the resistance movement.

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British passed the Proclamation of 1763, which prohibited colonists from settling west of Appalachian Mountains. This was because Great Britain did not want to deal with the Indians. If they did this, wars would be caused between them and Indians. But the colonists did not want to listen to them and in defiance of the Proclamation a bunch of colonists went westward .

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War that broke out with French and many Indian tribes on one side with British and colonists on the other side over Ohio River Valley. The winner would rule North America. British won and became leading naval power of the world. The British and colonists started to dislike each other as they fought togetherBritish went broke after and started to tax the colonists. Colonists started saying the famous saying "no taxation without representation". This war made some colonists have thought of independence

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The First Great Awakening (1730's), a "religious revival", was a wave of fundamental, orthodox protestantism. It was led by preacher Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield called for colonists to return to their faith in God. This led many to start new Christian churches that were not controlled by the king. Edwards famous sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," Edwards likened his sinning listeners to a spider hung over a flame. (1740's) This emphasized individualism and helped lead colonists to revolution. Encouraged Indians and many blacks to attend mass open-air sermons

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During the Enlightenment, people start to extent natural laws to social aspects of life, such as government, religion, economy, and education. They started to ask themselves if God really wants kings to have all the power. They wondered if church and state (government) should be together. They also wondered if it is fair that very few are wealthy while majority of people are born poor and die poor. Some famous Enlightenment philosophers include John Hobbe, Locke, Voltaire, Montesquieu, Rouseau, Beccaria, Wollstonecraft, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison.

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The main purpose of these Navigation Acts was to keep making Great Britain money. The reason for the First Navigation Act (1651) was to restrict Dutch shipping because they were Great Britain's biggest competition. The Second Navigation Act (1660) was made to prevent fraudulent evasions. Tobacco, sugar, rice, cotton, wool, dyeing woods, indigo could only be shipped to England. The Third Navigation Act (1663) was made so that the colonies could only get goods from England only.